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Give Your Toddler the Power of Nutrient Dense Foods

As your baby shifts from infant stage to toddler stage, you may find that your child’s eating habits have changed drastically. You may find that he or she is eating too little and has no patience in sitting through the whole meal. Therefore she needs nutrient dense foods

Give Your Toddler the Power of Nutrient Dense Foods

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As your baby shifts from infant stage to toddler stage, you may find that your child’s eating habits have changed drastically. You may find that he or she is eating too little and has no patience in sitting through the whole meal. Therefore she needs nutrient dense foods

Foods that provide more energy and nutrients such as energy, protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals in small amount or quantity of food are called nutrient-dense foods. Milk and milk products (calcium and protein), whole cereal, pulses, legumes and nuts (carbohydrates, proteins, fibre, vitamins and minerals) are all nutrient-dense foods.

Why Nutrient-Dense Foods?

Your toddler who is growing and very active has a small stomach. He/she has high nutritional requirements relative to his size. Your toddler needs to consume about 1000 calories/day. His or her requirement for other nutrients is also higher. Here are some tips to ensure nutrient-dense foods in your toddler’s diet:

Make chapatti dough with milk or add milk powder/soya powder to increase its nutrient density.

Include a variety of foods in your toddler’s diet to avoid any gaps that occur from pickyeating habits.

Soft-cooked rice/roti mixed in thick dal or khichadi with added ghee/oil and cookedvegetables make a nutrient-dense meal.

Roti/rice/whole wheat bread with sweetened milk, kheer prepared with dalia, mung dal/wheat flour halwa made with milk and powdered nuts are some of the sweet options.

Fortify foods with fats such as butter, cream and cheese. Fats are calorie-dense and are essential for rain development during these years.

Offer high-calorie and nutrient-dense fruits such as papaya, chikkoo, mango as snacks.